Structural and civil engineering design delivered with intelligence and imagination

Research is what I’m doing when I don’t know what I’m doing

Werner von Braun

Journal

Our Journal is a place for observations and reflections on the world of engineering and architecture, and beyond. We'll share our experiences from site visits and office outings; our thoughts on the materials and construction techniques we've been using; and our meditations on both the topical and historical with regards to the built environment.

Journal

Our Journal is a place for observations and reflections on the world of engineering and architecture, and beyond. We'll share our experiences from site visits and office outings; our thoughts on the materials and construction techniques we've been using; and our meditations on both the topical and historical with regards to the built environment.

David Adjaye - NLA Annual Lecture

We enjoyed the NLA Annual Lecture with David Adjaye last night. We're proud to have worked with his practice over the years on various projects including Rivington Arts Centre, Fog House and Dirty House (pictured).

Do Ho Suh at Victoria Miro Gallery

Techniker made a visit to Do Ho Suh's Passage/s installation at Victoria Miro Gallery. Meticulously replicating the architecture of the places in which he has lived and worked, Suh’s one-to-one scale translucent fabric structures give form to ideas about migration, transience and shifting identities.

Sound signature

David Adjaye and his brother Peter teamed up for "Dialogues", a vinyl featuring soundscapes inspired by Adjaye Associates projects, such as Techniker project Dirty House. We wonder what the sound signature of our other glass penthouses is like - is the architect recognisable within it? Belgrave Place, a glazed box we did with Foster + Partners, for instance.

Studio Wayne McGregor site visit

We visited Studio Wayne McGregor when it was nearing completion for a spot of interactive vibration testing. Harnessing the force of ten of our team, we recreated the sort of impact likely to be imparted on the studio floors and recorded this using vibration analysis software.

London Clay

London clay from 15m below Regents Park. Gives the city it's shape, distribution of watercourses, flora, fauna, brick colours, cranky terraces - all from a complicated and subtle engineering material.

Ut apes geometriam

Been installing Rothoblass screws with this little cutie - humanity in tools but the real artefact is geometry itself ‘ut apes geometriam’ was coined for engineers

Lightweight lattice masts

The design of The Miles Stair, Somerset House is based upon the structural form of a stone cantilever stair arranged to spring not from a surrounding wall but turned outside in to bear on a central newel. This post needed to be lightweight and translucent. A version of a lattice or ‘cage’ mast was adopted.
Originally developed by the Russian engineer Vladimir Suchov (1853 – 1939) during Stalin’s steel famines these very lightweight frameworks; triangulated cylinders and hyperbolic paraboloids, found use in capital ships to raise observation platforms above smoke stacks to the limit of optical range-finding, 120 feet above sea level.

Castigliano's Corollory

The strain energy of the system balances the potential energy of the load environment. Therefore the amount of material is a given and it is only a question of how it is deployed. With modern methods of analysis and construction practicalities are receding into irrelevance and the architect is free to organise form as he/she wishes within the geometric constraints of stability. 'Contractor innovation' is a misnomer - the procurement base offers what it is geared to - box girders are a transitional form towards something else - innovation is almost always about a last resort to dig oneself out of a hole.

Siberian larch

We've been using Siberian larch outside and it works well - hard stuff and inexpensive.

Christmas celebrations at Kenwood

Techniker celebrated the festive season together at historic Kenwood House. We took the opportunity to take a tour of the stunning house and its art collection.